Take-up for sewing-machines.



R. G. WOODWARD. -5KB-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23,1190?.

Patented June 10,1913.

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R. G. WOODWARD. TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES.

1,064,186. 3' N7' Patented June 10,1913.V

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- UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

RUSSEL G. WOODWARD, OF WAUKEGAN,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AYCORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS,Y

TAKE-UP FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

1,054,186. Specification of Be it known that I, RUSSEL G. VoonwAnD, a citizen of the United' States, residlngat Waukegan, Ain the county of Lake, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Ups for Sewing- Machines, o-f which Vthe following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and g'- ures o-f reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to thread controllers for sewing machines, and has for its object to provide a thread controller, which is used in connection with a thread-carrying implement, and so timed that said thread controller willtake up the thread o -n the forward movements o-f the thread-carrying implement, so that all liability of kinking or otherwise disturbing the threads, so that imperfect stitches are formed, is avoided.

A further object of my invention is to pro-vide a thread/controller which shall take up the thread in front of the )thread-carry,- ing implement, and also draw`frcm the supply a small amo-unt of thread which is given to said thread-carrying implement as it completes its forward stroke.

VA still further object of my invention is to provide a t-hread controller which shall take up the thread on the forward move- A ments of the thread-carrying implement,

pull a small amount of thread from the supply which is given to the thread-carrying implement as it completes its fo-rward movement, and which shall take up the thread as the thread-carrying implementy is moved backward.

Further objects of my invention will in part be obvious, and in part be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a front plan view of a sewing machine, showing my improved thread controller applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the work support remo-vedt showing the parts underneath the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3 o-f Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail view, showing the position of the thread cam, rctainer, the cast off finger, and the thread guide; Fig.` G is aview similar to Fig. 5

Letters Patent Patented June 10, 1913.

1907. sen'ai No. 385,156if and Fig. 7 is a detail showing the pull-off means for the. lQopeIf thread and the tension therefor.

The bed plate 1, the overhanging arm 2, the needle lever 3, operated from the mai-n shaft 4, the needle bar 5 and the needle 6 are o f the usual construction, and will not need further description.

The looper 7 is a thread-carrying looper, and 1s mounted in a looper carrier pivotally supported on the loo-per support 8, which 1s mounted in bearings on the under side of the work support. Said looper 7 `is oscillated by a link 9 connected to a rock lever 10, which in turn is pivotally connected by -means of a link 11 to the needle lever 3. The looper support 8 is oscillated by means of a fork 12, which engages a cam 13, mount- I ed o-n the shaft 4.

My improved thread controller consists in the present embodiment of my invention, of

upon t-he shaft 4 and rotate therewith.2 Cooperating with said cam disks 14 and 15 are f thread guides 1 6 and.17. Said thread guides 16 and 17 are preferably formed in the outer end of a thread wire-18, which is pivotally connected to a bracket 19 secured to the work support by suitable screws. The thread wire 18 is held in Vengagement with an adjustable screw 20 carried by a lug 21, formed in the bracket 19. by -means of a spring 22, which is secured to said bracket and bears against an offset portion in said thread-guiding wire. A cast off finger 23 is also connected to said bracket 19, and extends outwardly between the cam disks-14 and`15. A retaining finger 24 is likewise se- Eured to the bracket 19 and extends over the shaft 4 and into the space .between the cam disks 14 and 15. The cast oif finger 23 andthe retainingr finger 24'a1e preferably formed from a single wire. although it is obvio-us that these parts may be made separate and may be supported in any other manner than that herein shown.

Coperating with my thread controller is a thread clamp which consists ot' a spring clamping linger 25, which is preferably supported on an arm extending out-ward from the bracket 19. Coperating with the {inger 25 is an arm 26, which is bent upwardly at its forward end, forming a thread guide with-the thread cam in a different position;

cam disks 14 and 15 which are mounted Y port, and as said support is oscillated, said arm 28 is vibrated. This arm 28 carries an adjustable screw 29 which is so positioned as to bear against the outer end of the arm 25. As the looper is vibrated, therefore, the arm 28 will carry the screw 29 into contact with the -spring clamping finger 25, and

cause the samei to clamp the thread which runs between the clamping finger 25 and the arm 26. The arm Q8 is located below the center of the looper support, and, therefore,

as the looper is moved laterally to avoidthe needle before its return stroke, the 'adjustable screw 29 operates the thread clamp so that the thread is gripped thereby. As the looper reaches the back end of its stroke, the looper support is vibrated to bring the looper back into normal position and the arm 28 1s likewise vibrated to release the thread from the gripping action of the thread clamp.

Then it is desired to thread the thread clamp, the thread guide 27 serves as a means tol guide the thread between the arm 26 and the spring finger 25. The thread 1s led from the supply through the stationary thread guide 30 at therear of the machine, and then over the movable thread guide 31 (see Fig. 7 The thread guide 31 1s preferably mounted on the needle lever, while the thread guide 30 isA mountedy o n the overhanging arm` The thread guide 31 as 1t vibrates with the needle lever, serves as a means to pull thread from the supply for the looper. The thread is gripped by the thread clamp at the time that said thread guide 31 is operating to pull thread from the supply. The thread passes from-the thread guides 30 and 31 through a suitable tension 32, and thence through the guldeF eye 33, from which the thread is led to the thread clamp and to the thread guides 16 and 17, and then to the looper..

The cam disks are similar in construction. The disk 14 (see Fig.' 5), is provided with a concentric portion between the points a and b, and from Z) to c, said disk gradually decreases in radius, and then quickly increases in radius to the point c, where itis substantially of the same radius as between the points a and b. From c to d the disk is substantially concentric; from (l to e, said disk has a gradually decreasing eccentric surface, and from e to f, said disk has a rapidly decreasing concentric" surface, while from f to a, said disk has a rapidly increasing eccentric surface. Thev cam disks turn in the direction shown by the arrow* in Fig. 5, and it will loe seen that the thread bef' tween the thread guides 16 and 17 will be engaged by the surface of the cam between a and f, and the cast-off finger 23 will engage the thread, gradually carrying it up said eccentric surface until it is cast over on to the concentric portion at the point a.

During this movement of thetake-up disk, the looperl is being retracted and the slack caused by the backward movement of thread is properly positioned for the entrance of the needle into the'loopervthread loo ldlhile the concentric portion from a to is in engagement with the looper thread, said thread is substantially slack. As the looper moves forward, the rapidly increasing eccentricportion near the point o engages the looper thread, and takes all the lthe looper is taken up, so that the looper slack out of said` looper thread in front of the looper, and also draws a little slack from the supply.

'The operation of my machine is as follows: When the needle is in its eXtreme upper position, the looper is at the forward end of its stroke and the thread is taut, for the reason that the looper is pulling thread from the supply as it reaches the forward end of its stroke. The shifting of the looper sidewise to avoid the needles, closes the thread grip. JAs* the needle descends, the

looper is retracted. A certain amount of slack is formed in the looper thread by its withdrawing movement from the needle loop. It is very. essential that this slack 'shall be taken up and the looper thread held substantially taut, that is, without any sag therein, until the needle point is well down into the usual triangle formed bythe looper thread extending between the eye of the looper and the reviou's stitch, the needle thread -loop extending also from theprevious stitch to the looper, `which is sur?l rounded at this time', and the body of the looper which forms the third side ofthe triangle. As the looper begins to retract the eccentric portion of 'the take-up cam con.

tacts with the looper thread extending bin tween the thread guides, and takes up the slack that would otherwise be formed by the backward 'movement of the looper. As soon as the needle is well into the triangle or looper thread loop, the cast-off wire 23 casts, the looper thread off on to the concentricl portion of the take-up cam. The thread eye at'the heel of they looper when in its extreme 'backward position is slightly at the right of the thread guide 16, and, therefore, the looper requires slack thread as vit approaches the end of its backward stroke. 'The concentric portion of the take-up cam is so disposed relative to the thread guides 16v and 17, that slack is given to the looper at this time. As the looper moves forward, the thread becomes slack, and if the looper is allowed to move forward` under "a loose slack thread, said thread is liable to buckle or kink infront of the looper point, or when operating with a poor vquality of looper i thread having projecting fibers, said looper thread is liable to vcrowd the needle loop to one side, thus skipping stitches, or making The eccentricy surface on the take up cam is imperfect stitches.

In order -to avoid the slack in front of the looper, I have provided my take-up cam with an eccentric portion, which as lthe looper begins its forward movement comes into engagement with the looper thread and draws the slack in front of the looper eye back, through the eye of the looper, so that looper thread is practically taut from the eye of said .looper to the previous .stitch at the time the point ofthe looper is entering the needle loop, and thereby all liability of the looper thread interfering with the proper formation of the stitches is avoided.

preferably so -proportioned thatnot only the slack is taken up in front of the looper, but

a small` anonnt of'threa-d is drawn from the supply. The thread .clamp is open at this time by reason of the swing of the looper support when the looper reaches the end of its backward stroke. After the looper point is well into the needle loop, the thread is cast o froml the auxiliary take-up surface, and the looper moves forward under a slack thread. The slack is consumed by theloo'per before the vforward end of its stroke is reached, ,and the remainder4 of the looper thread necessary for` the stitch is drawn by the looper from the supply By casting off the thread from the auxiliary takelup as soon as the point of the looperhas entered theneedleloop, so thatv the looper may move forward witha loose thread,`all strainis taken from thef'looper thread and the liabilityv of breaking the looper thread`is avoided'. Furthermore,by drawing a small portion of thread fromthe supply bythe auxiliary take-up, a certain amount of additional slack is given to the` looper for its-,forward movement, and the looper is required to pull oli a smaller amount of lthread for the formation of the stitch.

I have describedthe operation of my takeup in connection with a single needle. Said take-up is, however, especially adapted for use in connection with a plurality of needles, wherein a single looper coperates with said needles to lay a cross or covering stitch between the needles.

With t-wo needles, the auxiliary take-up operates as with one needle; the slack in front of the looper. is taken up and the looper thread cast off as soon as the point of the looper is well into the needle loops and the eye of the looper is between said needles.

It will be -noted that by my form of looperoperating mechanism, wherein the rock shaft receives Aits oscillations from the needle lever 3, and the connections are so located that the link l1 moves up to and' slightly across a vertical line as the looper ment, said looper will by reason of this construction, be given a dwell at the forward end of its stroke.

My improved take-up is so timed that the looper thread is out of contact with the take-up cam disks at the time the looper' is at the forward end of its stroke and is receiving its dwell. This is quite an importantfeature in machines of this character, for it is very essential that the looper thread should not be placed under great strain,`and l by this construction wherein the looper thread is out of contactfwith the cam takeup disks, `when the looperK is at a dwell, said looper thread is relieved from any strain `that might be placed thereon, if the parts were otherwise timed. Furthermore, by my construction of take-up, the thread is out of contact with the cam disks, and undisturbed during the entire dwell of the looper.

When, however, the looperY moves backward, the take-up cam comes into contact with thethread and takes up the slack thread that is formed by the receding looper. The take-up also gives up slack to the looper as it moves forward.

It will be noted that when the portionof the cam disk between a and f comes. into 'Contact with the thread, the thread is carried bodily forward with the cam disk, and does not roll along the eccentric portion `of the cam disk at this time. Likewise, when the port-ion of the cam disk between c and d engages the thread, it is carried bodilyA forward with the disk as it rotates. ,This is a vvery important feature, especially when operating upon two` threads as the rolling of the thread over the face of the take-up cam twists the-two threads together.

While I have shown and claimed my im` proved thread controller in connection with a looper that is given a ydifferential movement and a dwell at the forward end of its stroke, it is obvious that said thread controller ,may be used in'connection with a thread-carrying implement of any type and operated by any suitable means. It is also obvious that instead of using two spaced cam disks,-Ivmay use a single'cam disk.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:*

l. The combination with a needle," and a thread carrying looper, of thread controlling mechanism therefor, including a device for engaging thethread, thread guiding members coperating with said thread engaging device, and means for moving said thread engagingkdevice whereby the slack in' front of the looper isktaken up as the looper moves forward, said device releasing said thread as soon as the looper point is well into the needle loop.

2. The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper, and thread controlling mechanism including a thread engaging device, thread guiding members cooperating with said thread engaging device, and means for moving said thread engaging device whereby the slack in frontiof the looper is pulled back through the eye ofthe looper and taken up as the looper moves forward and whereby the looper thread is pulled from thejsupply.

3. The combination of ay needle, a thread carrying looper, of thread controlling mechanism therefor, including a device for engaging the thread, `thread guiding members cooperating with said thread engaging device, and means for amovingesaid thread engaging device whereby the slack infront of the looper is taken up as the looper moves forward, said device releasing said thread as soon as the looper point is well into the needle loop, said thread engaging device also operating to take up the looper thread as the looper moves backward.

4. The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper, and thread controlling mechanism including a thread engaging device, thread guiding members coperating 'with said thread engaging device, and

wmeans for moving said thread engaging device, whereby the slack in front of the looper is pulled back through the eye of the looper, and taken up as the looper moves forward, and whereby the looper thread is -pulled from the supply, said thread engagthread as soon as the point of the looper yis well into the needle` loop, said thread engaging device operating to4 take up the looper thread as thelooper moves backward,

lwhereby the looper thread is properly positioned relative to the needle as it descends and said thread engaging device being con-` structed to release the looper'thread after the needle point has passed below said Y looper thread. l

6. The combination of athread-carrying implement, and a rotary take-up for taking up the slack in front of the thread-carrying implement, and at` the same time drawing thread from the supply.

v`'.."'l`he combination of a thread-carrying implement, of arotary take-up for taking of the threadcarryin, i

up the slack in front implement, vand at the same `time drawing thread from the supply and for taking up the thread on the backward movement of the thread-carrying implement.

8. The combination -with a needle, a thread-carrying-looper and a thread controller including a rotary camV` disk, andl means coperating therewith, whereby the looper thread loop is taken up in front of the looper, and 'is released as soon asthe looper point has entered well into the needle loop.

9. The combination with a needle, a thread-carrying looper and a thread cntroller including a rotary cam disk, and means coperating therewith,- whereby the looper thread loop is taken up in front of the looper and is released 'as soon as the looper point has entered well into the needle loop. said cam again taking up the looper thread as the looper moves backward, whereby the looper thread is properly positioned for the entrance of the needle.

10. The combination of a needle, a threadcarrying looper, and a thread controller, ,including a rotary'cam disk, and means cooperating therewith, whereby the looper thread is Ataken up in front of the looper and at the same time thread is drawn from the supply.

11. The combination of a needle, a threadcarrying looper, and a thread controller, including a rotary cam disk, and means cooperating therewith vvhereby' the looper thread is taken up in front of the looper V and atthe same timevthread is drawn from the supply, and the thread isA again taken up as the looper moves backward, whereby the looper thread is positioned for the entrance of the needle loop.

12. The vcombination with a thread carrying looper, a thread clamp, and'thread controlling mechanism for the looper thread, includinga thread engaging device located between the thread clamp and the looper, means for operating said thread engaging device thread guiding members coperating with the threadengaging device, said thread engaging device being constructed so as to draw the looper thread back. through the eye of the looper, and take upthe'slack in front of the looper as it moves forward,- and also pull thread from the supply at the ysame time the thread is taken up infront of the looper. J v

13. The combination in a multiple needlemachine, of a thread carrying looper, and thread controllin mechanism `for the thread carrying looper, including a device for engaging the looper thread, means for operating said device, thread guiding members coperating with said thread engaging device, said thread engaging device being so constructed as to .drawv the looper thread back'through Athe eye of the looper, and take up the slack in front of the looper as it4 moves forward, release the looper thread when the eye of the looper is at the right hand needle, and take up said slack in front of the eye of the looper again before the eye of the looper passes to the left hand needle on its backward stroke.

14. In a sewing machine, the combination of a main shaft, a thread carrying implement operated from said main shaft, a thread controller including a rotating member, means whereby said member is rotated from said main shaft, thread guiding members coperating with said rotating member, said rotating member having concentric and eccentric thread engaging portions, so related to each other and the thread guiding members, as to take up the thread'in.v

front of the thread carrying implement, carry the thread bodily forward, release the thread and again take up the thread and carry it forward during a single rotation of said member, said rotating member also operating while in engagement with said thread to pull thread from the supply.

' 15. The combinationl with a needle, a thread. carrying looper,a rotary thread controller operating upon said looper thread, said rotary thread controller being shaped so as to take up the thread in front of the looper as it moves forward and release the looper thread after the point of the looper is well into the needle loop, and again take up the looper thread as the looper moves backward and a pull of't` independent of said looper thread controller, and means for operating ,said pull off, whereby thread is pulled from the supply when the looper .is on its backward movement.

In testimony whereof vI affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSEL e. wooDwARD.

Witnesses: 4

' CHESTER MCNEU.,

-WARD E.v WRIGHT. 

